garden tools

With Father’s Day just around the corner I’ve been thinking about useful gift ideas. My kids always love to give their dad his favorite candies, handmade cards/notes, a new tie, etc…all of these gifts are always greatly appreciated and graciously accepted. I thought it would be fun this year to put together a Gardening Tool Box and thanks to my local Western Gardens I was able to knock out most of my shopping in one place. I did get the Husky Bucket Jockey online (here) and we already had the 5-gallon bucket but you can find them online too (here) but the rest of the tools and many many others were all found at Western Gardens.Check out all of this they have in stock, and this isn’t even everything. It was a great place to start our plan. There is a gift in the bag from each of the kids. It includes 2 different types of shovels, gloves, small rake, pruning shears, and weeder.We loved the bucket jockey because it has pockets all on the outside and the inside to help keep everything organized. He can use the inside pockets to separate and organize seeds (the kids and I are each excited to pick a few different varieties to include in the kit) and being inside will keep them protected from the elements. Once the seeds are all planted the bucket can be used to easily gather weeds while out gardening or as a seat when needed.To top off the gift I created this Father’s Day tag perfect for the Gardening Tool Box. I designed it in black and white and it can be colored by the gift giver. It’s all all drawn and cut by the Cricut Explore which makes it an easy tag to make.
You can find the cut file here. I love the way it pulls the whole gift together. You or your kids can color it to their own liking making the gift even more personal.
I swear It seems like some gardening tools need to be replaced annually at our house, they tend to walk off to who knows where and end up missing forever. I’m really hoping that each tool having its own home will prevent that from happening this year.
If’ you’ve got a dad in your life who has a green thumb (or wishes he did) this gift is the perfect choice for this Father’s Day.

Planting a Spring flower bed may seem like a daunting task if you’re new to gardening, but we have 10 easy tips and tricks to help you create a beautiful, inviting space in your yard.

1 -Lay Out Your Plants Before You Buy. Today’s planting actually started out on the floor in the nursery of Western Gardens. I laid out all of my plants on a cement square to help me decide how much I needed for the space to be planted. Once I had what I needed, it was easy to load up and head to the flower bed!

2- Clean Up Your Flower Beds. I always start every planting by cleaning up what’s already there. It seems simple, but it makes a big impact to just clear away old debris. 3- Add 2 Inches of Compost Over Top of the Flower Bed. No need to work it into the soil, the nutrients will work their way down to your plants’ roots. We could almost just stop here, at this point the bed already looks so much fresher and cleaner! The fun part is next though, so let’s get planting!

4- Use an Auger to Plant Bulbs. One of my favorite tools is a bulb planting auger. It’s an attachment that fits a standard-size drill, and it makes planting bulbs SO easy and fast! {You can pick one up at your nearest Western Gardens.} Just drill down about 6 inches, drop your bulbs in, and fill back in with soil! Bulb planting at its finest. And simplest.

5- Add Unique Plants like Veggies! I am always looking for ways to plant veggies in a landscape, so I took some along. Lettuce for some extra green, and some sugar snap peas to put on the trellis. It’s a great addition because it’s unique and beautiful, and who doesn’t want a sugar snap pea on their way out the door?

6- Incorporate Unique Elements that you might not always see in a flower bed. I found a trellis at Western Garden Center that went perfectly with the yellow front door and bistro table on the patio. Always try to find cool things to throw in a landscape, but never force it. If it doesn’t go with the flow, don’t try to make it work.

7- Adjust Flowers Prior To Digging. Before I dig any holes for my flowers, I lay them all out in the bed still in their containers. This is the time to make changes and play around with design. One important tip I always give is, take 10 steps back, take a deep breath, and look at what you are about to do. Adjust now before it’s too late!

If everything looks perfect, take your hand shovel, and dig into that bed! All the hard work is over now, so it is time to get everything into the ground. 8- Before the flowers go in the ground, gently tear part of the plants’ root systems…it will encourage the roots to grow into the surrounding soil instead of circling itself (like it’s been doing in the container). 9- Once all your flowers are planted, quickly give it a drink of water. If you’re planting when it’s hot outside, there’s a good chance those plants are in shock. Watering them right away will help them get established in their new home.

10- Don’t Be Afraid To Try Something New! We can’t wait to see those Sugar Snap Peas on that trellis! Now grab a lemonade, pull up a chair and enjoy your beautiful new flowers… and enjoy a sugar snap pea for me!

{We are often asked what kind of compost we use in our own gardens. We recommend Bumper Crop all natural organic soil builder. It’s great for veggie gardens, flower beds, planter boxes, and pretty much anywhere else you want to put it!}

Necessity is the mother of invention! I believe it! Check out this fun idea of how to utilize your garden rake while you are waiting for the leaves to fall! We suggest a leaf rake without painted tines. Of course, you will want to begin with a clean sterilized rake; you know how to do that. Gather your ingredients. Get your fire-pit going with just the right coals. Now you are ready to assemble, roast, and enjoy your s’mores. Follow the photo – a picture is worth a 1000 words!

Call your local Western Gardens store to check on current stock of these rakes; these are a most popular garden tool, now for several purposes! Happy s’moriing while you wait for the raking to begin!